Actor best known for his role on the eponymous sitcom, The Drew Carey Show (1995–present). Carey's endearing portrayal of a bored personnel employee who's unlucky at work and in love made him a hit with TV audiences. He became a favorite guest star on other sitcoms, including Ellen (1994) and Home Improvement (1991). A dropout of Kent State at 19, Carey worked as a waiter at Denny's and in the Marine Corps Reserve (1981–86), before giving stand-up comedy a try. After moderate success in clubs (1986–90), Carey got his big break on the Tonight Show (1991). In 1993, he wrote and starred in his own cable special for Showtime, Drew Carey: Human Cartoon, which won him a CableACE Award. His celebrity memoir, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined (1997) was a bestseller.